Old Writers

The controversy about older writers ("Older Writers--Left Out or Burned Out," by Jonathan Miller, April 28) calls to mind Capek's "Insect Comedy." Two beetles are portrayed spending every waking hour collecting dung only to eventually have their huge dung ball stolen.

Writers would be better served if instead of collecting gerontological data their union addressed itself to content.

Aristophanes, Hugo, Zola, Bernard Shaw, Conrad, Hemingway, et al., produced their best works late in life but, of course, they did not have to come to Brandon Tartikoff's office to "pitch" ideas.